Millions of British women suffer from hot flushes during the menopause, but not many realise that diet can have a lot to do with it. Fortunately, hot flushes do not have to be an inevitable part of menopause. In fact, women in some cultures, namely in Asia, rarely experience discomfort from hot flushes at all. What’s their secret? It could very likely be what’s on their dinner plate.

Research indicates that soya, a significant element in the traditional Japanese diet, may be useful in preventing hot flushes in women. Edible beans, especially soybeans, contain the compounds genistein and daidzein, which have an oestrogen-like effect and help to control hot flushes and night sweats. That may explain why only 7 percent of menopausal Japanese women suffer from hot flushes, as compared to 55 percent of women living in the United States and the United Kingdom.

In the Land of the Rising Sun, hot flushes and night sweats are virtually unheard of. Researchers believe that it has more to do with their traditional diet. Besides providing more vegetable protein and less animal protein than a Western diet, the Japanese is also low in saturated fat and high in soya products such as tofu and miso. These foods are rich in plant compounds known as phytoestrogens, which seem to mimic some of the biological activities of the female hormones.

In addition to soya and other legumes like chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans etc., women can help combat hot flushes by eating more calcium-rich foods, magnesium-rich foods and foods rich in vitamin E — like cold-pressed oils, green leafy vegetables, nuts and almonds, as well as plenty of mineral- and fibre-rich foods, like whole grains and fresh vegetables.

During the menopause, it is also important for women to get plenty of water. Drinking water replaces fluids lost to perspiration during hot flushes and can even prevent or minimise the hot flushes themselves.

Perhaps as important as which foods women should eat to prevent hot flushes are those foods they should avoid. Many foods are thought to contribute to or worsen discomfort from hot flushes. Alcohol, caffeine, excess sugar, refined foods, meat products and spicy foods rank among the top aggravators of severe hot flushes, as well as mood swings. Hot flushes often flare up when women drink wine or coffee, which acidifies the blood and strains the liver. One way to avoid this acidification is to cut down on these beverages and to drink more fresh vegetable juices, which counteract the effect by alkalinising the body.

Certain lifestyle changes can also help ease hot flushes. For example, regular exercise can help alleviate some women’s discomfort. Also, it pays to quit smoking. A recent study at the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Centre found that women who smoke have significantly more hot flushes than non smokers.

The good news here is that if you are a woman going through the menopause, hot flushes are within your control. It may take some diet and lifestyle changes on your part, but you don’t have to suffer through hot flushes and accept them as a “normal” part of that time in your life. You can fight back with food, and, best of all, the foods you eat to help curb hot flushes are so nutrient rich that they will benefit your overall health as well.

Dear Reader

I hope you are enjoying the articles in Natural News and do send in your feedback as that way I can keep improving the content and design.

This issue of Natural News includes an article on the natural approach to the menopause and as there seems to be a lot of confusion around this subject, I wanted to clarify one particular issue. I have always used the herb black cohosh in my clinics with great success for the menopausal hot flushes and night sweats so it came as a surprise to know that in the future all black cohosh products will have to carry a warning saying that the herb may cause rare but serious liver disorders.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) report cites 14 cases of women with liver problems in the UK that were “possibly” or “probably” linked to black cohosh. When the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) reviewed all the evidence worldwide, it concluded that, in fact, there were only two “possible” (one in the UK) and two “probable” cases and that it is not clear whether black cohosh caused the problem. These four cases are such a small number when weighed up against an estimated 9 million treatment days of black cohosh used each year.

The National Institute of Health in the US believes there’s no case to answer and their website states that black cohosh has few side effects and that ‘liver damage has been reported in a few individuals using black cohosh, but millions of people have taken the herb without apparent adverse health effects. There is no scientific evidence to show that the herb causes liver damage.’

Also worryingly, researchers have found that some black cohosh products on the market contain an Asian species of black cohosh which is cheaper than the North American black cohosh. Compared with the species cultivated in North America, the Asian variety has different chemical properties and may have different effects on the body.

So I would still recommend that you use black cohosh as the herb of choice for the menopause symptoms but make sure that you buy from reputable companies so that you know you are getting the best quality herb and preferably buy organic.

Kind regards,

Marilyn Glenville PhD

Once upon a time three meals a day was considered the foundation stone of healthy eating and snacking in between was strictly forbidden if you were watching your weight. But the very latest research tells us a very different story and snacking in between meals isn’t condemned anymore; in fact it’s highly recommended. Obviously snacking on a whole bar of chocolate and a family pack of crisps when you feel that mid afternoon slump isn’t going to do you any good at all but a few strategically timed, balanced snacks can help you get more nutrients, stop food cravings, increase your energy and even keep wrinkles away.

As far as weight loss is concerned the nutritional tide is really turning in favour of snacking between meals. This is because we now know that hanging on until lunch or supper puts your body into starvation mode. Your metabolism slows right down and encourages your body to hold onto fat stores and hinders attempts at weight loss. If, however, you make sure you eat every two or three hours your body doesn’t feel under threat from starvation and doesn’t cling to fat in the same way.

It’s not just your waistline that benefits from regular snacking, however, your brain does too. This is because your brain relies on a steady supply of energy in the form of glucose from the food you eat. If you skip meals or go for long periods as you would with a three meal a day diet plan your blood sugar levels start to fluctuate so your brain doesn’t get that steady supply. The result: you feel tired, forgetful and grumpy.

In addition, studies also show that fluctuating blood sugars can encourage the release of the stress hormones — adrenaline and cortisol — which can not only contribute to the likelihood of weight gain, particularly around the middle, but can also aggravate the symptoms of the menopause, such as hot flushes, mood swings, insomnia and memory loss and increase pre-menstrual symptoms.

Finally, skipping meals or not eating often enough can make you deficient in nutrients that affect how you age. This is because snacks are a convenient and quick way to add more nutrients into your diet. For example, a handful of nuts and seeds, something you may be unlikely to add to a main meal, is bursting with skin friendly antioxidant vitamin E and essential fatty acids. Snacking also allows you to increase your intake of unprocessed, raw foods like fresh fruit and vegetables, which often shed nutrients during the cooking process, especially the antioxidant, anti-ageing vitamin C.

How, what and when?

To reap all the benefits of snacking you need to make sure you eat something small, like an oatcake or some nuts and seeds, every three or so hours. For example, after breakfast you should aim for a mid morning snack at around 11 am and then after lunch you should aim for a mid afternoon snack at around 4 pm and then after supper you could also have a very light snack just before bedtime, if you wake up in the middle of the night, so that everything adds up to three meals a day with two to three snacks in between.

This regular intake of calories and nutrients beats hunger pangs and mood swings because your blood sugar levels stay even and this sends a message to your brain that your body is not under stress and that it can keep revving your metabolism up and use your old fat stores for energy instead of clinging onto it.

Do make sure you pay attention to portion sizes though. Snacking is great for weight loss but not if you end up eating more than you normally do. If you add in snacks you do need to adjust your meal size accordingly. To do this, eat the amount of food you usually do, but spread it over five to six smaller meals and snacks instead.

Your snacks could be something like a handful of nuts and raisins, a small piece of fruit like a banana or an apple, or an oat cake spread with hummous. Remember, your meals should fit on a regular sized dinner plate and should not be piled high and your snacks should fit easily into the palm of your hand.

Your snack prescription:

The snack suggestions below can help if you want to:

• Fight Fatigue: One of the most common symptoms of blood sugar imbalance is fatigue. Eating little and often will help keep your blood sugar and your energy levels steady. Don’t forget to add some protein to your snacks though as protein slows down the rate at which your stomach empties and helps keep your blood sugar levels on an even keel. Try an organic natural yogurt with a palmful of berries and a table spoon of mixed nuts and seeds; a boiled egg with a slice of wholemeal bread or hummous with crudités.
• Lower high cholesterol: A study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that eating a few ounces of oats a day could lower cholesterol by 16 per cent in three months so snack on a couple of oat cakes or a small bowl of porridge made from organic soya or rice milk.
• Beat Insomnia: Low blood sugar could be one of the reasons why you find it hard to get to sleep or wake up regularly in the night so try to have a snack at least 40 minutes before you go to bed. Aim for foods high in tryptophan, an amino acid that encourages sleep. Good sources are oats, peanuts and sunflower seeds so try a small bowl of oat porridge, a slice of wholemeal toast with peanut butter or a handful of sunflower seeds with a cup of camomile tea.
• Beat Memory loss/poor concentration: Study after study has confirmed the beneficial effect of omega 3 rich oily fish, like tuna, mackerel or salmon and nuts and seeds on brain function. To stay alert for longer aim for a few pieces of oily fish or a selection of sunflower, sesame or linseeds for your mid morning or mid afternoon snack when your concentration is most likely to be at its lowest ebb.
• Beat Mood swings: Snacking on low GI complex carbo-hydrates that release a steady supply of glucose to your brain is a great way to keep your blood sugar levels and your mood stable so try some mixed bean salad or a delicious bowl of comforting oat porridge with a spoon of honey or maple syrup for sweetness.
• Protect yourself against osteoporosis: To keep your bones healthy you need a steady supply of calcium, antioxidants and vitamins; so try a handful of raspberries, blueberries or strawberries and top them with a few tablespoons of organic natural yogurt and a teaspoon of ground linseeds (flaxseeds) to give your bones and joints a boost.
• Lose weight: One of the best ways to shift weight is to boost your nutrient intake so your food is digested more efficiently and to keep your blood sugar levels stable because weight gain is often a symptom of blood sugar imbalances. Snacking is the perfect way to achieve both these objectives, especially if you snack on negative calorie foods like broccoli, carrots, courgettes and celery. These foods are negative calorie foods because they use up more calories in digestion than they provide. To make them more interesting dip them into hummous or guacamole.
• Fight wrinkles: The secret of healthy skin is essential fat which keeps it hydrated and keeps wrinkles and dry skin at bay. To keep your skin glowing, try snacking on four or five olives or whole almonds (both rich in essential fats) with a piece of fruit.
• Beat symptoms of menopause: Foods rich in calming phytoestrogens will help balance your hormones and by so doing ease menopause related symptoms such as hot flushes, poor concentration and bloating. You could snack on a tablespoon of flaxseeds (linseeds) a day with some anti-ageing berries. Remember you don’t always have to eat soya; other legumes, such as chickpeas and lentils, are good sources of phytoestrogens too.